


the suburbs aren't for everyone

by RedJumper



Series: Five Prompts - Ncis [3]
Category: NCIS
Genre: M/M, set around season 5
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-09
Updated: 2020-06-09
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:14:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24632932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedJumper/pseuds/RedJumper
Summary: Tim has always wanted the white picket fence, 2.5 kids and golden labrador named Buddy. Yet here he is, just passed thirty and still living in his too small apartment in Silver Springs, waiting for his maybe-somewhat boyfriend to arrive.
Relationships: Anthony DiNozzo/Timothy McGee
Series: Five Prompts - Ncis [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1780195
Kudos: 31





	the suburbs aren't for everyone

**Author's Note:**

> from ncis five prompts april 2019 - livejournal - 3. Plot Bunny: They are falling in love. One believes in love at first sight and romantic tropes. The other believes love to be a lie. Can they make it work? Are they both even willing to try? What has made them this way? How will this affect their relationship? How will this affect their work lives?
> 
> I don't own characters.

Tim has always wanted the white picket fence, 2.5 kids and golden labrador named Buddy. He pictured coming home from a long hard day of work, kissing his wife on the cheek and collecting the baby off her hip - he’ll admit that he was being very stereotypical with that image and that it did eventually morph into something that didn't belong in the 1950s. But the idea remained the same - perfect wife, perfect kids, perfect life all wrapped up in the perfect house. 

Yet here he is, just passed thirty and still living in his too small apartment in Silver Springs, waiting for his maybe-somewhat boyfriend to arrive. Tony's twenty minutes late but with his track record that's almost on time. Tim really should just tell him an earlier time but he likes the little teasing game they have about Tony’s tardiness. 

He really thought he would have put on his suit and watched his lovely bride walk down the aisle before now, maybe even also have a baby on their way. Yet instead of a wedding photo on a mantel, Tim has a photocopy of the picture Abby took of the team last year at the bar, held up on his fridge by a football shaped magnet that Tony got him as a joke gift one year. Instead of a happy newly wed couple sharing their first kiss, Tim has Tony's arm around his shoulder and Ziva pressed up against his other side, with Gibbs and Ducky standing behind them with small smiles on their face in contrast to the huge grins of the younger trio. Tim really wishes it was a wedding photo. 

He doesn't mind that his wife that looks after their kids would instead be a husband that puts himself in life risking scenarios because he would still be married to the person he loves. Well actually, he would have to get a domestic partnership with Tony but that's close enough. They still have to sign papers in court with witnesses - it counts. That is if Tony even wants to. He might not. They've only been dating (at least Tim thinks it’s dating, Tony’s never said one way or another) for six months but Tim falls in love fast - always has. Tony doesn't - never has. 

Tony once told him all about the feelings he had from Jeanne Benoit. He was about four or so drinks in but Tim had managed to decipher the mumbles and tangents and half slurred sentences. Tony was scared of falling in love but he faced that fear for Jeanne and now he was hurting and mourning the loss of what he had called ‘his best love ever’ and well when Tony said that, Tim felt his heart shatter. Tony kept going on and on about how Jeanne was the best and hottest and nicest person he had ever met and Tim let him, let him talk and talk until he fell asleep on the couch with his beer glass still in his hand.

Tony didn’t remember what he had said when he got up the next morning and Tim never told him. And a couple months later when Tony kissed him for the first time, Tim started to try and shred all thoughts about that drunken night. He thought if he pretended Tony never said anything it would be easier. That falling in love with someone that was still getting over the what ifs and could’ve beens of a past relationship wouldn't hurt as much.

Then Tim said ‘I love you.’ and Tony left his apartment. He showed up a few hours later though, reeking of cheap beer and rambling on and on about how Tim doesn't actually love, can't love him, that love ruins things, how people lie about feelings and how those lies can destroy lives. That he didn’t want to be destroyed by love again. This time before Tony fell asleep on Tim’s - newly added- couch, Tim dragged him into his bedroom and made sure he fell asleep in bed.

He had woken up to Tony staring at him with a small smile on his lips and he smiled back. Tony’s arm around his waist had tightened and then he let go. He had started mumbling about drinking too much and began to leave the bed but Tim stopped him by placing a hand on his arm and saying ‘I love you.’ for the second time. This time Tony didn't leave - didn't say it back either- but he did nod and smile. And that was progress.

Tony still hasn't said it back but Tim knows he feels it. Can tell by what Tony does for him - getting take out on nights he knows Tim is too tired, keeping a dvd of the war of worlds at his own apartment for when Tim stays over, leaving his shirts in Tim’s drawer instead of taking them home - just some days it hard to remember. It's easy to remember that Tony’s had his maybe-the-one love but lost her. It's easy to remember that Tim isn't her. And it's easy to overthink all the ways Tony might not love him back.

He hears his apartment door being unlocked - Tony finally showing up - and thinks that maybe if he has the right person with him, he won’t need the ‘perfect life’ to be happy and in love. Maybe having a somewhat boyfriend that keeps a couple of his shirts in one of his drawers is enough. Tony smiles at him as he places the take out on the kitchen island and Tim knows it will have to be enough.


End file.
